Latest news with #MohammedSinwar
Telegraph
21 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Ignore the Left-wing naysayers, Israel is winning this necessary war
The EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, says 'Israeli strikes in Gaza go beyond what is necessary to fight Hamas'. Perhaps she should head to Jerusalem and give precise instructions to the IDF on what they should be doing to eliminate the Hamas terrorist regime – assuming that's what she actually wants. She can tell them how you kill terrorists entwined into the population, hiding in tunnels beneath schools, hospitals and houses, protected by the most comprehensively booby-trapped terrain in the history of warfare, all while minimising harm to civilians. Of course, like so many other blowhard Western politicians, she doesn't have a clue. Fortunately the IDF does and has been waging this hugely complex war for 19 months with a combination of fighting prowess and humanitarian restraint that no other army could match. That is the true picture that I have witnessed with my own eyes, unlike the vast array of armchair commentators and rabble-rousers with their lies and distortions intended to break Israel or signal their own non-existent virtues or both. And Israel has had unparalleled success. They have killed something like 20-25,000 Hamas terrorists, including many senior commanders. The latest of these is Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, blown apart in an air strike earlier this month as he was skulking in a tunnel beneath a hospital in Khan Younis. His older brother Yahya, from whom he took over the reins of Hamas, met his maker last October. Shortly before that Mohammed Deif, Hamas's military commander, saw the same fate. The list goes on, and many more would have joined it had the IDF not been so determined to avoid killing the hostages and where possible to avoid harm to civilians in line with their scrupulously observed obligations under International Humanitarian Law. Those who have been dispatched have been replaced, though by less experienced and less able terrorists, but I'm not sure how long the list of applicants will be for the Sinwar brothers' uniquely hazardous job. Kallas also rejects Israel's latest efforts to get aid to Gazan civilians while preventing it from falling into the hands of Hamas. While she pontificates from her headquarters in Brussels with its lavish restaurants, Gazans have been enthusiastically queuing up in their thousands to collect food and even camping out overnight. But Kallas is in good company. Hamas also rejects this aid system and has been threatening Gazans against using it. Nor does the UN like it one little bit, despite the outrageously fake assertion last week that 14,000 babies would die of malnutrition in 48 hours. Hamas's position is understandable. It is focused on survival and pretty much its only source of funds now is from hijacking and selling aid at premium prices. But what about Kallas, the UN and even our own Government which also does not support this new initiative? It is hard to escape the conclusion, with the growing chorus of condemnations against Israel, that these people are terrified Jerusalem will win this war. That's the last thing they want as it would undermine any leverage they might have in pursuit of the holy grail of a 'two state solution'. Lacking insight, or terrified of being seen to have been wrong all along, they utterly fail to recognise that a two state solution is permanently interred after Hamas hammered the final nail into its coffin on October 7 2023. Unfortunately for the unholy alliance against its victory, Israel is going to prevail – and not just in Gaza. Prime minister Netanyahu launched a dazzling operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year that eliminated its overlord Hassan Nasrallah and took out much of its leadership by using explosive-laden pagers. Meanwhile the IDF shattered much of its military capability, especially the long-range missiles that existed to threaten Israel. Hezbollah is not finished but its potential to cause harm has been dramatically degraded. It will have difficulty rebuilding as it has lost the vital terrain of Assad's Syria, again as a direct result of Israeli action. Iran itself, the mastermind of the jihadist plan to suffocate Israel using region-wide terror proxies, was humiliated by its failure to damage Israel with hundreds of missiles and drones, not to mention an inability to protect Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who was taken out right next to the president's official residence in Tehran. Even worse, the Islamic Republic is now badly exposed, following the Israeli Air Force's evisceration of its Russian-supplied air defences. The likes of Kallas and her faint-hearted fellow travellers have no power to stand in Israel's path, but their words and threatened actions certainly encourage Hamas. Apart from the hostages it holds, its only card is the vilification of Israel by the international community and the accompanying weaponisation of legal warfare. Hamas could end all the bloodshed and the deprivation overnight by laying down its arms and releasing the hostages. If the EU, the UN and those governments so eager to condemn the Jewish state actually wanted to achieve peace, they would support Israel in words and actions, and condemn Hamas at every turn.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE There is 'no question' Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war in Gaza for political gain, former Israeli Ambassador Alon Pinkas tells the Mail's 'Apocalypse Now?' podcast
Podcast All episodes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war in Gaza to 'save his political career', former Israeli Ambassador Alon Pinkas told the Mail's 'Apocalypse Now?' podcast. Speaking to special correspondent David Patrikarakos, Mr Pinkas argued that Netanyahu benefits from continuing the conflict as it distracts from October 7th's security failures and the inability to achieve his stated war aim of wiping out Hamas. The interview comes as Israel announced the death of the leader of the terror group, Mohammed Sinwar, in a massive air strike on the city of Khan Younis. Mohamed's brother, Yahya Sinwar, the previous leader of Hamas, was killed by Israeli troops last year. Asked whether Mohamed Sinwar's death could bring the sides closer to resolution, Mr Pinkas called the announcement 'not a game changer' due to Netanyahu's vested interest in prolonging the fighting. 'Of course, it won't change the course of the war', Israel's former Consul General said. 'Sinwar deserved to die 17 times over – but that's not the point. The point is – what are the objectives here? What is the end game? What is the exit strategy? What is the post-war scenario? Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war in Gaza to 'save his political career', former Israeli Ambassador Alon Pinkas has told the Mail's 'Apocalypse Now?' podcast 'Israel is deliberately clueless, deliberately vague, deliberately disruptive about what comes next. 'There are reasons for this. Netanyahu never took responsibility for the calamity of October 7th – for him to prolong and perpetuate the war, gives him distance from that debacle. 'This is a man who bragged and boasted for years that he's Mr Security. He's a genius that knows how to fight terrorism. Well, that all came crashing down. 'Another reason is that during these twenty months, Netanyahu expanded the war into Lebanon and escalated it with Iran... for which he takes no responsibility.' 'He also wants to create a political divide between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Judea and Samaria – to prove a Palestinian state is not only discontiguous but impossible to implement. 'Ending the war creates a reintegration, which would then lead to pressure from the Trump administration –not only to end the war but to enter some kind of negotiated process with the Palestinians that will bring down his coalition.' Mr Pinkas said the 'majority of the Israeli public' believes the prolonging of the war is purely an exercise in saving Netanyahu's career. Listen here The coalition government of Israel led by Netanyahu has been described as dominated by warring far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. It has a tenuous grip on power, as shown by the narrow passing of Israel's latest budget in a 59-57 vote. Mr Pinkas said the 'majority of the Israeli public' believes the prolonging of the war is purely an exercise in saving Netanyahu's career. 'There's no question about It', he told host Patrikarakos. 'He came out with morally justified ideas about eradicating Hamas. It hasn't worked - in 18 or 19 months. 'It took the Allies nine months from Normandy in June 1944 to the outskirts of Berlin. It has been 19 months – for one of the strongest militaries in the world, against a ragtag, savage terror group, to achieve something that would look even remotely like a decisive political victory. 'For Netanyahu, given his extreme right-wing coalition – this is all about saving his political career.'
Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Netanyahu says Israel killed elusive Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in recent Gaza strike
Jerusalem CNN — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that a recent airstrike killed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that a recent airstrike killed Mohammed Sinwar , Hamas' elusive de facto leader in Gaza, the latest in a string of assassinations that have dealt a serious blow to the group's top brass but are yet to break its grip on power. Sinwar is the brother of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by the Israeli military in southern Gaza in October. Netanyahu made the announcement during a speech in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, as the country marked 600 days since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. CNN has reached out to Hamas for comment. 'We changed the face of the Middle East, we pushed the terrorists from our territories, we entered the Gaza Strip with force, we eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists, we eliminated (Mohammad) Deif, (Ismail) Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar,' he told lawmakers. Netanyahu's unilateral declaration, which was made without any supporting statements from the Israeli military or the defense minister, came as he faces ongoing nationwide protests around over his determination to continue the war in Gaza until the complete defeat of Hamas. On the 600th day of the war, protesters called for a comprehensive deal to end the fighting and free the hostages, but Netanyahu remained adamant that he would pursue what he has called 'complete victory.' 'We will defeat Hamas, dismantle its leadership, and demilitarize Gaza – that is what will happen,' he said in his Knesset speech, a goal which includes eliminating Hamas' top leaders. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a massive strike on the European Hospital in Khan Younis on May 13 — a day after Hamas released Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander. At the time, the IDF said it had struck 'Hamas terrorists in a command-and-control center' in underground infrastructure at the hospital, and senior Israeli official and two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the strike targeted Mohammed Sinwar. The strike killed several dozen people and wounded dozens more, the health ministry in Gaza said at the time. Hamas had rejected claims about Sinwar's death when the strike occurred, saying in a statement that only it is 'authorized to confirm or deny what is published.' A view of a decimated street near the European Hospital following the Israeli attack in Khan Younis on Tuesday May 13. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images Sinwar's death would deprive Hamas of an able and determined commander. But many analysts say it won't bring the end of the conflict any closer. It may even complicate negotiations with Israel if a new leader doesn't emerge and Hamas mediators are left without a Hamas interlocutor inside Gaza. Israeli officials considered Mohammed Sinwar just as hardline as his brother, Yahya, but much more experienced militarily. According to the IDF, he commanded the group's Khan Younis Brigade until 2016. Since the start of the war, he had remained largely hidden, along with many of Hamas' senior leaders in Gaza. In December 2023, the IDF released video of what it said was Mohammed Sinwar driving through a tunnel in Gaza. In February 2024, the IDF said it had located his office in western Khan Younis. Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Israel has destroyed Hamas' military capacity and ability to govern. To that end, Israel has gone after Hamas' top leaders in Gaza, and Sinwar is the latest target. In July, the IDF killed the group's military leader, Mohammed Deif, in a strike on an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. Two weeks later, Israel assassinated Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran. Then, in October, Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar in Rafah in southern Gaza. His death left his younger brother, Mohammed, as the de facto leader of Hamas in Gaza, which put him squarely in Israel's crosshairs. Ever since his brother's death, Sinwar had been pre-eminent among the leaders of Hamas' military wing inside Gaza. He was intimately involved in the planning for Hamas' October 7 attacks, which saw more than 1,200 people in Israel killed and another roughly 250 taken hostage. A video of him in the tunnels purportedly leading towards Israeli territory surfaced several weeks after the attacks. By most accounts, Sinwar was ruthlessly determined to keep up the fight, despite the loss of thousands of fighters in Hamas military wing and the deepening suffering of Gaza's civilians, as well as sporadic street protests in Gaza against Hamas. Some commentators believe that Mohammed Sinwar lacked the broader authority enjoyed by Yahya. Haaretz security analyst Amos Harel writes that he shared 'leadership responsibilities in Gaza with Az al-Din al-Haddad, a commander whose power base lies in the north of the Strip.' Impact on ceasefire negotiations Muhammad Shehada at the European Council on Foreign Relations says his death would complicate the negotiation process as Hamas reorganizes a shrinking leadership within Gaza. Without those leaders, he says, Hamas becomes more de-centralized and a ceasefire is more difficult to enforce. Avi Issacharoff, a commentator with media outlet Ynet, says Sinwar's death 'may open the door for more pragmatic voices within Hamas' leadership, such as Khalil al-Hayya and others currently involved in negotiations with Qatar and the Americans.' The balance between that leadership and its negotiators abroad has always been hard to assess, but Shehada says the Hamas negotiators 'perfectly represent the movement' and had already made countless concessions on a much-diminished post-conflict role, including allowing an international peacekeeping force and giving up governance. 'They are at their most lenient now' in the face of an Israeli government that is not prepared to negotiate beyond a temporary ceasefire, says Shehada. There is plentiful evidence that Mohammed Sinwar was as hardline as his brother, perhaps even more so. In a rare interview with Al Jazeera in 2021, Sinwar said: 'We know how to identify the pain points of the occupation, how to pressure it.' He was speaking after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launched more than 4,000 rockets toward Israel. Speaking in silhouette, Sinwar spoke of expanding Hamas' ambitions. 'Tel Aviv has been placed on the table since the first day of the battle… Striking Tel Aviv is easier than taking a sip of water.' By the time he was killed he had accumulated 30 years of military experience. A destroyed bus after the Israeli attack in Khan Younis, Gaza on May 13. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images Living in the shadows Sinwar was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in 1975 and was first arrested for militant activities as a teenager. He became the leader of Hamas' Khan Younis brigade and is said to have played a key role in the Hamas operation that captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, according to the Counter Extremism Project, and in insisting on his brother's release from an Israeli prison in return for Shalit's freedom. Muhammad Shehada says Sinwar lived more in the shadows than his brother and others in Hamas' leadership and had a more rigid security environment, almost to the point of paranoia. 'After an assassination attempt in 2003 he vanished, and did not take a public role in his father's funeral' in 2022, according to Michael Barak, head of the Global Jihad Research Program at the International Institute for Counter Terrorism in Israel. The evidence of the past few months suggests he was an able tactician. Time and again, the Israeli military had to return to areas of Gaza it had previously scoured for Hamas fighters. While Hamas has lost as many as 20,000 fighters, according to an assessment by the Israeli military in January, it has maintained its presence in many parts of Gaza, even occasionally firing rockets towards Israel. In a report last month, the International Crisis Group think tank said that despite those losses, Hamas had managed to recruit thousands more fighters. However, Shahada says that the Israeli campaign has seriously degraded Hamas and it is now more of a guerrilla group than a threat to its neighbor. Killing Sinwar won't change that, he says. Despite Sinwar's death, Yaakov Amidror, a former National Security Advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said: 'It is likely that we will need to continue fighting for at least a year, in order to clean the Strip of remnants of Hamas rule, terrorists, and infrastructure.' Only then, Amidror told the Jewish News Syndicate, could a new form of government be introduced to Gaza. Shehada believes that Israel's attempt to kill Sinwar the day after it released US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander will 'make it harder for Hamas to trust anything the mediators or the US says…. it's the perfect signal that no amount of guarantees from the mediators will suffice to enforce a ceasefire even if one is reached.' But what happens in Gaza next may depend as much as on the pressure being exerted by Washington on the Israeli government to end the conflict as on the leadership of Hamas. Amos Harel at Haaretz believes that 'whether he lives or dies is no longer the central question. The course of the war now hinges on a different factor entirely: what (US) President (Donald) Trump does next – and whether he succeeds in imposing his terms on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mohammed Sinwar, defiant Hamas leader who took over the terror group after the death of brother Yahya
Mohammed Sinwar, who has been killed by Israeli bombs aged 49, was the younger brother and successor of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, the Palestinian political and military organisation in the Gaza Strip. His older brother Yahya Sinwar was the architect of the appalling October 7 terrorist attack on Israel of 2023, in which more than 1,200 were killed, thousands injured and 251 abducted to Gaza. Following that Hamas attack, Israel mobilised its forces, embarking on an all-out war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to destroy the organisation, kill its leaders, and release the Israeli hostages. On October 16 2024, the Israelis killed Yahya Sinwar. Mohammed subsequently succeeded his elder brother as Hamas leader and head of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas; with that, Mohammed Sinwar became the most senior Hamas figure in the Gaza Strip. As the new leader of Hamas, Mohammed Sinwar initiated a new recruitment programme aimed at rebuilding units, many of which were destroyed by Israel in the war. He also attempted to use the hostages still in Hamas's hands to negotiate an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. In the indirect negotiations with Israel, Mohammed Sinwar has shown himself to be as stubborn as his late older sibling. 'Hamas is in a very strong position to dictate the cease-fire terms,' he wrote in a message to mediators in Doha, Qatar. And in another defiant message, he said: 'If it is not a comprehensive deal [with Israel] that ends the sufferings of all Gazans and justifies their blood and sacrifices, Hamas will continue its fight.' Mohammed Ibrahim Hassan al-Sinwar was born on September 16 1975, one of two children, in the Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, at a time when the Strip was under Israeli rule, following its occupation in the 1967 Six-Day War. Mohammed's parents, who lived in Al-Majdal Asqalan, Palestine (now Ashkelon in Israel), became refugees in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, seeking refuge in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar grew up in Khan Younis, where he attended primary and secondary school for boys. At the age of 16, during the first intifada, the Palestinian uprising against the Israelis, Mohammed joined the Hamas movement, which called for the destruction of Israel, becoming a member of the group's military wing, the Qassam Brigades. He was arrested by the Israeli authorities because of terrorist activities and was sent to prison for nine months; upon his release, the young Sinwar upped his militaristic activities with Hamas, taking part in several deadly terror attacks against Israel. As a staunch opponent of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Sinwar was also arrested by them, sent to a Palestinian jail for three years, but managed to escape from jail in 2000. In 2005, after 38 years in the Gaza Strip, the Israelis withdrew from there, which, in turn, strengthened Hamas as it enabled them to operate more easily. Subsequently, breaking its traditional secrecy, Hamas disclosed the names of seven of its top commanders in the Gaza Strip; one of them, the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, turned out to be Mohammed Sinwar. In an interview about the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Sinwar said: 'Inshallah, this is the beginning of the full liberation of the lands of Palestine.' In June 2006, Mohammed Sinwar masterminded a cross-border attack on an Israeli military post, capturing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Hamas kept Shalit in captivity for five years and, following indirect negotiations with the Netanyahu government, Hamas agreed to release Shalit on October 18 2011 in exchange for 1,026 Palestinian prisoners; one of those released was a certain Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed's elder brother, the future Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and the brain behind the October 7 attack on Israel. Seeing how Mohammed Sinwar turned into an influential figure in Hamas, the Israelis tried on several occasions to assassinate him, using snipers, missiles and bombs planted in his garden wall. After one of these failed assassination attempts, Mohammed Sinwar said: 'These assassinations cause short shocks to those who oppose the [Israeli] occupation. But if the occupation thinks that it will paralyse [us], then it is not going to happen.' He added: 'My life now is different than my previous life … [I] must adapt to a life of isolation from the outer world and find ways to fill up [my] time ... Each move must be calculated and planned … [to evade assassinations] one must be very alert at all times.' In 2014, in an attempt to stop the Israelis' efforts to kill Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas announced that he had died by Israeli fire on a residential complex: they even produced a fake photo of him covered in blood. In February 2017, his big brother Yahya Sinwar was elected leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, in what was seen as a victory for hardline militancy. Operating behind the scenes, a habit which earned him the nickname 'The Shadow', Mohammed Sinwar said in a rare 2022 interview with Al Jazeera, his face hidden, that most Gazans would not recognise him because he was so unknown. To maintain secrecy, he had skipped his father's funeral, and said in the interview: 'For us, shooting rockets at Tel Aviv is easier than sipping water.' Mohammed Sinwar was a close confidant of Yahya and was one of a handful of top Hamas terrorists who knew about the October 7 attack in advance. During the subsequent war, Mohammed Sinwar was one of the few who knew the whereabouts of Yahya and where he was hiding. In December 2023, two months after the outbreak of the Gaza War, the IDF released rare footage of Mohammed Sinwar, accompanied by bodyguards, and sitting in a Jeep, inspecting a Gaza tunnel; this footage showed how involved he was in the running of the war. Israel placed a $300,000 (about £223,000) bounty on any information about his whereabouts. On May 13 2025, Israeli aeroplanes dropped tons of explosives on an underground site near the European Hospital in Khan Younis, targeting a Hamas command and control facility where Israeli intelligence believed Mohammed Sinwar was staying. For some time his fate was unknown, but on May 28 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Mohammed Sinwar was dead. He was married and had three children. Mohammed Sinwar, born September 16 1975, died May 13 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Israel says killed Hamas's presumed leader in Gaza
JERUSALEM: Israel said Wednesday its military killed Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas's presumed Gaza leader and the brother of Yahya, slain mastermind of the October 2023 attacks that sparked the Gaza war. On the war's 600th day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Israel's Gaza offensive, saying it had killed tens of thousands of militants including Mohammed Sinwar -- nicknamed 'the shadow'. Israeli media said Sinwar was targeted by strikes in southern Gaza earlier this month. His brother was killed in October 2024. Wednesday's announcement came as the UN condemned a US- and Israeli-backed aid system in Gaza after dozens were hurt the day before in chaotic scenes at a food distribution site. Also Wednesday, AFP footage showed crowds of Palestinians breaking into a UN World Food Programme warehouse at Deir el-Balah in central Gaza and taking food as gunshots rang out. The WFP posted on X that 'hungry people' raided the warehouse 'in search of food supplies that were pre-positioned for distribution'. The aid issue has worsened amid a hunger crisis and criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which bypasses the longstanding UN-led system. The UN said 47 people were injured Tuesday when thousands of Palestinians rushed a GHF site. A Palestinian medical source reported at least one death. Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories, said most injuries came from Israeli gunfire. The military rejected this. A spokesman said soldiers 'fired warning shots into the air', not towards people. GHF also denied crowds were shot while waiting for aid and said operations continue, with a new site opened 'without incident' and more planned. With two of its four sites fully operational, GHF said it distributed eight trucks of aid and more than 840,000 meals on Wednesday. Gazans accused the US-backed system of causing confusion and unfair access. 'All the aid boxes were torn apart and people just took whatever they wanted. This is all I could find: five bags of chickpeas and five kilos of rice,' said Qasim Shalouf in Khan Yunis. UN Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag said Gazans 'deserve more than survival'. 'Since the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, the already horrific existence of civilians has only sunk further into the abyss,' she told the Security Council. 'War of Revival' Netanyahu marked the 600-day milestone in parliament, saying the offensive had 'changed the face of the Middle East'. 'We drove the terrorists out of our territory, entered the Gaza Strip with force, eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists, eliminated... Mohammed Sinwar,' he said. In Washington, US envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about a possible ceasefire, saying he expected to propose a plan soon. 'I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution, temporary cease fire, and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution of that conflict,' he said. Gazans remained pessimistic. 'Six hundred days have passed and nothing has changed. Death continues, and Israeli bombing does not stop,' said Bassam Daloul, 40. 'Even hoping for a ceasefire feels like a dream and a nightmare.' Displaced mother-of-three Aya Shamlakh, 35, said: 'There is no food, no water, not even clothes. The clothes we wear are torn and my children cannot find food to eat, where do we go?' In Israel, relatives of hostages held since the October 7 attack gathered in Tel Aviv. 'I want you to know that when Israel blows up deals, it does so on the heads of the hostages,' said Arbel Yehud, who was freed from Gaza captivity in January. 'Their conditions immediately worsen, food diminishes, pressure increases, and bombings and military actions do not save them, they endanger their lives.' ' Waste of resources' The UN has criticised the GHF, which faces accusations of failing humanitarian principles. 'I believe it is a waste of resources and a distraction from atrocities,' said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Gaza's civil defence said Israeli strikes killed 16 people Wednesday. Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza for more than two months, before easing it slightly last week. It stepped up its military offensive earlier this month, while mediators push for a still elusive ceasefire. In Tel Aviv, hundreds of people called for a ceasefire, lining roads and the main highway at 6:29 am -- the exact time the unprecedented October 7 attack began. Most Israeli media focused on the 600-day milestone and the hostage families' struggle. Some 1,218 people were killed in Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Wednesday at least 3,924 people had been killed in the territory since Israel ended the ceasefire on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,084, mostly civilians.
